JCU hopes latest offer quells pay row

The James Cook University (JCU) in north Queensland says it is hopeful a long-running pay dispute is near an end.

Staff took industrial action last month after negotiations broke down but the bans have since been lifted.

The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) met members yesterday to discuss a revised offer of 3 per cent a year over two years.

JCU spokeswoman Professor Robyn McGuiggan says it has offered a shorter agreement in light of recent funding cuts and uncertainty about its financial position under the new Abbott Government.

"We've also offered a number of new benefits in this agreement," she said.

"For example the payment of an Indigenous language allowance, additional cultural leave up to five paid days for obligatory cultural events, additional cultural leave of up to five paid days for participation in state, national or international sporting events."

Union says staff still being short-changed

However, the NTEU has not ruled out further industrial action at JCU, following the revised pay offer.

NTEU industrial officer Michael McNally says while some gains have been made in staff entitlements, they are still being short-changed.

"They've extended the expiry date of the agreement so the last agreement expired ... on 30 June, 2012," he said.

"They want an agreement that includes 3 per cent this year and 3 per cent next year, but that then goes until March 2015, so over that period it's actually 2.25 per cent per annum."

Mr McNally says there are mixed views about the offer among staff but it should be increased.

"The first thing we've resolved to do is to get everybody to write to the chancellor of the university to try and get him to intervene," he said.

"While the managers of the university seem to get massive pay rises, the staff at the coalface don't seem to get any and that to us is a fundamental problem that needs some intervention."

Professor McGuiggan does not accept the NTEU's claim and says it is a generous offer.

"It is the same 3 per cent offer that we have previously put on the table, but we have made this one better by forgoing further productivity increases so staff would be entitled to a 3 per cent increase backdated to the first of June 2013," she said.